Continuing professional development (CPD) policy and the discourse of teacher professionalism in Scotland

The dynamic nature and multiple interpretations of professionalism make any analysis of it as a static, homogenous concept somewhat difficult. Much of the existing body of literature, which explores professionalism from a traditional sociological perspective, is now being challenged by developing concepts of professionalism that support particular political agendas. Contemporary writers prominent in the field of teacher professionalism appear to be highlighting two contrasting models. While these are defined slightly differently and attributed different names according to particular writers, broadly speaking they equate to a managerial perspective and a democratic perspective. In this paper an analysis of contemporary conceptions of professionalism from literature is presented, and then used in interpreting the discourse evident through a range of public documents on CPD for teachers in Scotland. The paper suggests that the democratic, transformative view of professionalism promoted in much of the recent literature, while reflected in some of the rhetoric surrounding Scottish CPD policy, is not as apparent in real terms. In conclusion it is suggested that there is a need for all stakeholders to interrogate CPD policy more rigorously in order that the underlying conceptions of professionalism can be made explicit

‘Advancing Professionalism in Teaching’? An exploration of the mobilisation of the concept of professionalism in the McCormac Report on the Review of Teacher Employment in Scotland

The report of the recent review of teacher employment in Scotland, commonly known as ‘the McCormac Report’ was published in 2011.This article explores the conceptualisation of professionalism inherent in the Report. Using a critical discourse analysis approach we interrogate the text in relation to three key issues: professionalism; the notion of teacher ‘flexibility’; and the extent to which economic pressures have driven the direction of the Report. The analysis suggests that the dominant form of professionalism being employed in the Report is managerial, and that there is little evidence of alternative conceptions. We conclude that while there is no explicit definition of professionalism in the text of the Report, there is some evidence of the concept being mobilised as a form of control over teacher behaviour

OER Sustainable Diets Lecture

Lecture on Food Systems Sustainability and the implications for Nutrition and Dietetics. Focus on Sustainable diets in the context of Planetary Boundaries based on the EAT Lancet report

Looking beyond the obvious:Applying a critically reflective lens to professional learning literature

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Developing a new ITE programme:A story of compliant and disruptive narratives across different cultural spaces

Increasing global pressure to enhance teacher quality has led to increasing numbers of new ITE programmes, yet there is a dearth of policy studies interrogating exactly how both macro and micro-policy processes combine to shape the development of these programmes. This article examines one particular new programme – the MSc Transformative Learning and Teaching (MSc TLT) – and rather than presenting one coherent narrative of programme development, identifies three distinct cultural spaces in which ITE exists: the political space, the professional space and the university space. An analysis is provided of the way(s) in which the development of the MSc TLT has been supported or resisted in each of these cultural spaces. The analysis challenges the dualist notion of ‘official’ v. ‘counter’ narratives, instead revealing a series of compliant or disruptive narratives across the various spaces, contributing a new way of understanding the development of new ITE programmes

International conversations on professional learning

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Teacher professional learning in Scotland during (and after) the COVID-19 pandemic: A story of hope and humanity?

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic changed teachers’ personal and professional lives almost overnight as we all moved our lives online to be at a safe social distance from each other. In some ways this has been a leveller in that almost nobody has escaped the influence of the pandemic, but COVID-related mitigations in teacher professional learning have undoubtedly made issues of access and equity better for some and more challenging for others. This article explores how these changes to teacher professional learning in Scotland have both advantaged and disadvantaged particular teachers in particular contexts. It then goes on to illuminate how elements of the pre-pandemic dominant discourse in teacher professional learning have been both maintained and disrupted. The article concludes by articulating a series of lessons learned: things to be kept, nurtured and developed; things to be avoided or to be wary of; and excitingly, things that might be possible in the future as a result of this experience. Keywords: teacher professional learning; COVID-19; Scotland; professional standards; discourse; rura

Development and preliminary evaluation of a clinical guidance programme for the decision about prophylactic oophorectomy in women undergoing a hysterectomy

Objectives: To develop a decision analysis based and computerised clinical guidance programme (CGP) that provides patient specific guidance on the decision whether or not to undergo a prophylactic oophorectomy to reduce the risk of subsequent ovarian cancer and to undertake a preliminary pilot and evaluation. Subjects: Women who had already agreed to have a hysterectomy who otherwise had no ovarian pathology. Setting: Oophorectomy decision consultation at the outpatient or pre-admission clinic. Methods: A CGP was developed with advice from gynaecologists and patient groups, incorporating a set of Markov models within a decision analytical framework to evaluate the benefits of undergoing a prophylactic oophorectomy or not on the basis of quality adjusted life expectancy, life expectancy, and for varying durations of hormone replacement therapy. Sensitivity analysis and preliminary testing of the CGP were undertaken to compare its overall performance with established guidelines and practice. A small convenience sample of women invited to use the CGP were interviewed, the interviews were taped and transcribed, and a thematic analysis was undertaken. Results: The run time of the programme was 20 minutes, depending on the use of opt outs to default values. The CGP functioned well in preliminary testing. Women were able to use the programme and expressed overall satisfaction with it. Some had reservations about the computerised format and some were surprised at the specificity of the guidance given. Conclusions: A CGP can be developed for a complex healthcare decision. It can give evidence-based health guidance which can be adjusted to account for individual risk factors and reflects a patient’s own values and preferences concerning health outcomes. Future decision aids and support systems need to be developed and evaluated in a way which takes account of the variation in patients’ preferences for inclusion in the decision making process

Public Perceptions of the Dioxin Crisis in Irish Pork

In early December 2008, a global recall of Irish pork was initiated as a result of a subset of the national pork output being contaminated with dioxin. In this study, members of a panel from an internet-based longitudinal monitor of public opinion on food and health, was used to assess public perceptions about the dioxin incident in late December. A larger proportion of respondents reported that that there was a 'very high' health risk from pork (8.6 %) than any other food of animal origin. The risk posed to human health from dioxins was considered to be relatively high compared to a broad range of potential food and non-food risks. The majority of respondents (70.5 %) accepted that the way in which the authorities managed the crisis was 'adequate' or 'very efficient'. These findings should be considered in light of the following facts: the European Food Safety Authority and the Irish authorities announced that there was no risk to human health from the dioxins in pork, there was extensive media attention about the dioxin incident, and the Irish Government had to introduce a 200 million euro compensation package for the Irish pork industry which was funded by the Irish taxpayer.food risk, dioxins, consumer risk perception

Measuring quality in initial teacher education:A literature review for Scotland’s MQuITE Study.

The MQuITE project seeks to develop and implement a context-appropriate approach to measuring quality in initial teacher education. As a result, the focus of this literature review is on the various conceptualisations and measures of "quality" vis-à-vis teaching, teachers, and initial teacher education (ITE) across the globe. As Scotland considers what types of programmes and routes best prepare teachers for success in the classroom, there is a glaring need for a collaboratively-created framework with which to measure the quality of teacher preparation programmes. Such a framework would not only provide data to inform external evaluation and internal improvement but also provide a coherent and consistent model with which to compare the strengths, weaknesses, and innovative features of the various pathways into teaching